The present invention relates generally to energy generating devices, and more particularly, is directed to a mold including a piezoelectric power generating arrangement for generating electrical power in response to pouring of molding material into the mold and removal of the molded product from the mold.
Numerous industrial processes have in common the pouring of a molding material into a mold, and which include, without limitation, fluids, grains, powders, slurries and resins, and from which a finished product is later ejected. These molds are used in the field of, for example, metallurgy, plastics, masonry, baking, confectionary and terra cotta, and are all intended to be covered by the present invention.
Some of these processes involve the pouring of very hot molten material into the molds. In the United States, much of the production of 80 million tons or so of steel begins as molten metal poured about twenty feet from huge ladles into the molds.
It would therefore be desirable to tap this large volume of mechanical energy, as well as the large amount of heat energy generated in these molding operations.